Iceland joins call for sanctions over Israeli settlements

Icelandic Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir is among 12 foreign ministers backing a joint statement on plans to impose trade sanctions or other measures over illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine that undermine the two-state solution, mbl.is reported.

The statement reaffirms the countries’ support for a two-state solution and the importance of establishing lasting and fair peace. It calls on the Israeli government to immediately halt the expansion of settlements in Palestine, ensure that settlers are held accountable for acts of violence and investigate allegations against Israeli soldiers.

The countries also recognise Israel’s legitimate security interests and reiterate their condemnation of Hamas’s terrorist attack on October 7, 2023. The statement says the attack was the bloodiest against the Jewish community since the Holocaust and that antisemitism must be addressed wherever it occurs.

The other countries backing the statement are Britain, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Canada, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.